Movie Review - Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh

It is a fairy tale. Fairy tales have always held an appeal to me and this most recent remake lived up to my expectations. There were tender scenes as parents passed away, giving words of comfort and strength to their children. There were happy family times, that did unfortunately change to very unhappy times for Cinderella.  Her name, originally Ella, was mockingly changed to Cinderella by her wickedly unkind stepsisters. I felt that this retelling of Cinderella showed more developing inner strength of the Cinderella character as she grieved her parents, and struggled finding her way in the life she was given.

Oh, and the magic performed by the fairy godmother was full of fun. A pumpkin into a grand carriage, mice into white horses, lizards into foot men and a goose into the carriage master - who was terrified to drive the horses!  And of course Cinderella’s coiffure, marvelous dress and her glass slippers. The ball was full of royal finery and dancing. It all dissolved again into laughter as the magic was undone at the last stroke of midnight.

This was not a piece of fluff that told little girls to look for Prince Charmings to save them. It was a well told story and the five young (sort of) ‘girls’ that went to see it today came away with smiles and damp tissues.

“Have courage, be kind.”

~  the movie Cinderella, 2015

Based on a European fairy tale

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Partial Cast of Characters
Lily James - Cinderella
Richard Madden - Prince Charming
Cate Blanchett - Stepmother
Sophie McShera - Drizella
Holliday Grainger - Anastasia
Helena Bonham Carter - Fairy Godmother

Goodness Grows

Grape hyacinths grow in innocent clusters
Spring harbingers of warming soil and sun

Epilepsy sits quietly, innocently ~ clustering and seizing to
slam and fall suddenly with little warning.

Grape hyacinths pop up in lawns and fields 
Epilepsy crashes and jerks unexpectedly through families

Fragrant auras of a grape hyacinths are delicate and sweet.
An aura for a seizure blossoms into fear and anxiety.

Grape hyacinths are lovely and gentle.
Those with epilepsy each have their own goodness.

“I smiled back and I thought how incredible that was, 

that they would find the time to smile. There was goodness 

in the world still, even if you couldn’t always see it.”

 ~ Jenny Valentine, Broken Soup

Picturing Expectations

Photographs glowing with love and life
Celluloid memory of family times past yet full of expectations
Passing through decades of holidays in winter, spring, summer or fall.
Sisters, brothers and parents
Cousins, uncles and aunts
Friends, adopted families and colleagues
Travels and homes, births and anniversaries
Weddings and graduations, babies, kittens and dogs
Farm, gardens and landscapes.
Photographs that remember the people and places we have come from.

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.

~ Ansel Adams

Expecting Clarity

“We can’t staff for 'just in case' scenarios.”
When asking for more staff from a supervisor several years ago this was the response. Young and  intimated by supervisors, I considered that she maybe knew much more than I.

Listening to the news and the political rhetoric in today’s climate there many double messages. To double up the messages:
‘We expect that terrorist’s will destroy us’
And 
‘We can’t afford to increase funding for social programs’ (until election time)

I definitely do not minimize the dreadful threat that terrorism poses globally.

Social programs like child care, senior’s care, health care and many other forms of care for Canada’s citizens if not funded and developed effectively, pose a greater threat on a daily basis.

For purposes of voting, we need only to gaze into a crystal ball to divine how to vote.

“Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important.”

~ Jaachynma N.E. Agu, The Prince and the Pauper

Outside of a Comfort Zone

Green floppy hats and white silk blouses with shamrocks
Shiny green ties and cable knit sweaters
Shades of green from moss to kelly
Pub fare and clinking glasses
Young girls dance the ceili to entertain clapping patrons

Outside of my comfort zone of home, quiet and a good book, meeting new acquaintances at invitation of a colleague at the Penny Farthing on Oak Bay Avenue in a zone of comfort and cheer ~ Mac and Cheese and a good cup of coffee from the menu really added to the comfort!

My comfort ruffled by a breeze of memory that those in recovery
no longer find peaceful comfort in such a venue
The breeze floated another memory ~
many enjoy St. Patrick’s Day celebrations outside of that zone of discomfort, often expected to ‘just have one for St. Patrick!’

“Your perspective on life comes from the cage you were held captive in.”

~ Shannon Adler

http://www.pennyfarthingpub.com

http://www.liferingcanada.org

http://aavictoria.ca

http://www.smartrecovery.org

Expectant Excess

White faceless mannequins
dressed in jeans and sweaters
suits and ties
forever ready for a game of tennis or a board meeting

White faceless mannequins
hands on hips
dressed in flowered a-line sundresses wearing wide-brimmed net hats
forever ready for a garden party

Racks and racks of clothes
Shirts and sweaters
Skirts and dress slacks
Silent and expectant for someone needing clothing

Cool airconditioned comfort
Silent as a mausoleum
Voices of salesclerks distant and echoing
Hum of escalators and aromas of the latest perfumes
Abundance inaccessible to most.

“What fun it would be to be poor, as long as one was 

excessively poor! Anything in excess is most exhilarating.”

~ Jean Anouilh

Cloudy Expectations

The blank page patiently awaits
Words expected to magically appear drifting down from the ether arranging themselves with intelligence, humour or maybe even inspiration.

Reviewing my day, I realize any early morning expectations were challenged after awaking from an unexpected, very long and refreshing sleep. 
Rain coming down steadily, was not inviting a walk outside.
I buried myself in a couple of books, one with dragons and fantasy and the other about writing.
No urge to move quickly on anything.

The unexpected brightened a rainy cold Sunday morning.
A long distance visit about nothing of earth shattering importance from the loving familiar voice of a dear sister.
An unplanned breakfast out with a friend - more chatting and friendly, cheerful camaraderie while sharing a meal and tidbits of life.
A trip to Russell’s bookstore where two floors of tall columns and shelves of books remind me of the zillions of words that have found their way onto many, many blank pages.

These few words appear on the screen in front of my eyes
with only the magic of digital technology
plunking themselves down from finger to key
arranging themselves in the ordained order
Intelligence - possible
Humour - maybe a smidge
Inspiration - who knows?

  “Our brightest blazes of gladness 

are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.”

~ Samuel Johnson, The Idler; Poems